Dravite Tourmaline

This is a unique specimen for the find - several parallel growth crystals with terminations that step up, rising to the peak in the middle. This arrangement is three-dimensional - from all angles the terminations away from the centre are below the top ones. The overall form of this piece is very aesthetic! The terminations and prism faces are highly lustrous.

About These Dravite Tourmalines

These dravite tourmalines from Serra Branca, Brazil, are sharp crystals!

All of the crystals are doubly-terminated. The prism faces have a bright lustre, like black opaque glass. Under bright lights (such as the photography lighting), a few subsurface glints of internal brown are visible in some, but under normal lighting, to the eye the crystals look essentially black and opaque. The termination faces vary, with many showing a slightly silky lustre and delicate texture. Most of these are crisp, simple crystals (they really look like idealized crystal models!) and some have a bit more complexity to them. None of these crystals are perfect all-around - they have a little edge wear or minor nicking in some place or another - however, these are high quality specimens and they are the best of the lot.

These specimens were collected over 20 years ago and they were squirreled away in Brazil until a few months ago. Frank Melanson had analysis done to confirm that they should be labeled dravite.

This is a unique specimen for the find - several parallel growth crystals with terminations that step up, rising to the peak in the middle. This arrangement is three-dimensional - from all angles the terminations away from the centre are below the top ones. The overall form of this piece is very aesthetic! The terminations and prism faces are highly lustrous.

About These Dravite Tourmalines

These dravite tourmalines from Serra Branca, Brazil, are sharp crystals!

All of the crystals are doubly-terminated. The prism faces have a bright lustre, like black opaque glass. Under bright lights (such as the photography lighting), a few subsurface glints of internal brown are visible in some, but under normal lighting, to the eye the crystals look essentially black and opaque. The termination faces vary, with many showing a slightly silky lustre and delicate texture. Most of these are crisp, simple crystals (they really look like idealized crystal models!) and some have a bit more complexity to them. None of these crystals are perfect all-around - they have a little edge wear or minor nicking in some place or another - however, these are high quality specimens and they are the best of the lot.

These specimens were collected over 20 years ago and they were squirreled away in Brazil until a few months ago. Frank Melanson had analysis done to confirm that they should be labeled dravite.